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University · Nanjing · China

Nanjing University

In research, Nanjing University stands highest in Physical Sciences (#14 of 12,888 worldwide), Environmental Science (#20 of 3,551 worldwide) and Chemistry (#8 of 1,330 worldwide), 2022–2025. Relative to its size it is most specialised in Software, Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials and Atmospheric Science — Software is 9.4× its share of world research.

nju.edu.cn/englishROR OpenAlex
World rank, 2022–2025
#28
of 28,054 · #142 all time
Rank in China
#17
of 3,058
Research works
79k
▲ 13% vs 2013–17
Citations
1.7M
21.8 per fractional work
Top-10% rate
26.3%
record average 16.5%
Open access
24%
world 28%

What is Nanjing University known for in research?

The fields where it stands highest, 2022–2025, ranked among every institution above the floor in each field.

FieldWorld rankWhere that sitsTop-10% rateWorksAll time
Physical SciencesDomain #14 of 12,888 24.9%11,338 #83
Environmental ScienceField #20 of 3,551 30.7%1,340 #120
ChemistryField #8 of 1,330 26.7%712 #28
Computer ScienceField #29 of 4,667 23.1%2,340 #136
EngineeringField #52 of 6,636 24.3%2,940 #165
Earth and Planetary SciencesField #10 of 1,209 27.6%835 #96
Materials ScienceField #34 of 2,468 23.4%1,478 #90
Electrical and Electronic EngineeringSubfield #36 of 2,318 23.6%1,144 #98
Physics and AstronomyField #30 of 1,646 24.0%1,007 #220
Life SciencesDomain #147 of 7,800 29.2%1,498 #490

Each strip is that field’s whole ranked pool, with the notch where Nanjing University sits in it, in the colour of the band that rank falls in. The track under the rate is the rate itself: it carries no world mark, because the world rate differs by field (from about 6% to 21% in this record).

Which of those standings moved

The same fields on both windows: where it stood over the whole record, and where it stands in 2022–2025. The distance is the story, and it is the one thing the two rank columns above cannot show.

  1. Physical Sciences#83 #14
  2. Environmental Science#120 #20
  3. Chemistry#28 #8
  4. Computer Science#136 #29
  5. Engineering#165 #52
  6. Earth and Planetary Sciences#96 #10
  7. Materials Science#90 #34
  8. Electrical and Electronic Engineering#98 #36
  9. Physics and Astronomy#220 #30
  10. Life Sciences#490 #147
all time2022–2025, better2022–2025, worse

A dot further right is a better standing. Fields it was not ranked in over the whole record are left out.

What does Nanjing University specialise in?

Where its research is concentrated relative to its size: Software takes 9.4× the share of its output that it takes of world research.

  1. SoftwareSubfield · 95.9 works9.4×
  2. Electronic, Optical and Magnetic MaterialsSubfield · 385.8 works5.3×
  3. Atmospheric ScienceSubfield · 355.7 works5.1×
  4. Condensed Matter PhysicsSubfield · 127.6 works5.0×
  5. ElectrochemistrySubfield · 55.4 works4.8×
  6. Process Chemistry and TechnologySubfield · 28.7 works4.4×
  7. Inorganic ChemistrySubfield · 155.6 works3.9×
← less than its size predicts1×more →

Location quotient, a volume reading rather than an impact one. It surfaces small, lopsided specialities.

Field profile

Location quotient across every field it publishes in: outside the ring is more than an institution of this size would be expected to publish, inside it is less.

Agricultural and Biological Sciences: 0.28× its world share, 208 worksAgricultural and Bio…Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology: 1.10× its world share, 934 worksBiochemistry, Geneti…Immunology and Microbiology: 0.80× its world share, 128 worksImmunology and Micro…Neuroscience: 0.73× its world share, 187 worksNeurosciencePharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics: 0.72× its world share, 41 worksPharmacology, Toxico…Chemical Engineering: 2.62× its world share, 146 worksChemical EngineeringChemistry: 2.86× its world share, 712 worksChemistryComputer Science: 1.90× its world share, 2,340 worksComputer ScienceEarth and Planetary Sciences: 3.35× its world share, 835 worksEarth and Planetary …Energy: 2.10× its world share, 306 worksEnergyEngineering: 1.23× its world share, 2,940 worksEngineeringEnvironmental Science: 1.70× its world share, 1,340 worksEnvironmental ScienceMaterials Science: 2.67× its world share, 1,478 worksMaterials ScienceMathematics: 1.26× its world share, 235 worksMathematicsPhysics and Astronomy: 2.85× its world share, 1,007 worksPhysics and AstronomyDentistry: 0.92× its world share, 70 worksDentistryHealth Professions: 0.19× its world share, 78 worksHealth ProfessionsMedicine: 0.35× its world share, 1,075 worksMedicineNursing: 0.36× its world share, 28 worksNursingVeterinary: 0.16× its world share, 3 worksVeterinaryArts and Humanities: 0.37× its world share, 170 worksArts and HumanitiesBusiness, Management and Accounting: 0.63× its world share, 322 worksBusiness, Management…Decision Sciences: 1.16× its world share, 178 worksDecision SciencesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance: 0.72× its world share, 246 worksEconomics, Econometr…Psychology: 0.39× its world share, 188 worksPsychologySocial Sciences: 0.34× its world share, 678 worksSocial Sciences1×world share
more than its size predictsabout as predictedless

Rings at 0.5×, 1× and 2×. Widest outward: Earth and Planetary Sciences, 3.4×. Every wedge is a field page.

Who are the top researchers at Nanjing University?

Ranked on the composite score, Gelin Xu, Wei Wang and Zhi‐Hua Zhou lead among researchers whose main affiliation is Nanjing University.

  1. 1 Gelin Xu China · #2,566 worldwide 6.1k citations · 68 works
  2. 2 Wei Wang China · #2,964 worldwide 2.5k citations · 109 works
  3. 3 Zhi‐Hua Zhou China · #8,301 worldwide 2.4k citations · 165 works
  4. 4 Tong Lü China · #9,602 worldwide 1.7k citations · 101 works
  5. 5 Jia Zhu China · #12,918 worldwide 1.2k citations · 52 works
  6. 6 Yongguang Zhang China · #13,306 worldwide 1.1k citations · 59 works
  7. 7 Hui Wei China · #17,926 worldwide 934 citations · 50 works
  8. 8 Ke Zen China · #23,241 worldwide 1k citations · 39 works
  9. 9 Limin Wang China · #26,891 worldwide 1.3k citations · 98 works
  10. 10 Ren‐Gen Xiong China · #30,607 worldwide 605 citations · 53 works
All ranked researchers at Nanjing University

Which keywords describe research at Nanjing University?

By fractional works in 2022–2025, weighted toward what it does more of than the world: Deep Learning, Neural Networks, Biosensors, Catalysis, Nanoparticles, Climate Change, Nanomaterials and Machine Learning.

▲ more of its work than of the world’s◆ about the world’s share▼ less than the world’s

Size is fractional works in 2022–2025 in the topics tagged with each word; colour is the word's share of this institution's work against its share of the world's. The 40 words are chosen for being large and distinctive. Each links to the topic it comes from most.

All 40 words, with their numbers
  1. Deep Learning1,002▲ 1.84×83 topics
  2. Climate Change639▲ 1.49×96 topics
  3. Machine Learning637▲ 1.23×86 topics
  4. Neural Networks598▲ 2.4×38 topics
  5. Nanoparticles488▲ 2.4×43 topics
  6. Catalysis423▲ 4.0×28 topics
  7. Nanomaterials415▲ 2.5×20 topics
  8. Biomedical Applications413▲ 2.2×35 topics
  9. Biosensors391▲ 4.8×12 topics
  10. Remote Sensing387▲ 1.98×38 topics
  11. Graphene322▲ 3.0×11 topics
  12. Metal-Organic Frameworks266▲ 4.0×6 topics
  13. Nanocomposites256▲ 2.0×21 topics
  14. Energy Storage243▲ 2.3×11 topics
  15. Self-Assembly235▲ 4.5×12 topics
  16. Water Splitting215▲ 3.7×4 topics
  17. Semiconductor213▲ 4.0×7 topics
  18. Cathode Materials209▲ 3.4×3 topics
  19. Electrochemistry209▲ 5.7×3 topics
  20. Electrocatalysis204▲ 4.5×5 topics
  21. Global Warming199▲ 3.1×14 topics
  22. Semiconductors194▲ 4.0×5 topics
  23. Metamaterials182▲ 8.2×5 topics
  24. Bioimaging174▲ 4.8×6 topics
  25. Chemical Sensors174▲ 4.6×3 topics
  26. Photodynamic Therapy169▲ 4.8×6 topics
  27. Electronic Structure167▲ 5.8×8 topics
  28. Molecular Machines166▲ 7.7×2 topics
  29. Photonic Crystals163▲ 8.4×5 topics
  30. Superconductivity160▲ 5.9×9 topics
  31. CO2 Reduction159▲ 4.6×2 topics
  32. Nanophotonics156▲ 10×3 topics
  33. Two-Dimensional Materials156▲ 4.2×4 topics
  34. Biomolecular Interactions154▲ 7.4×2 topics
  35. DNA nanotechnology154▲ 7.8×1 topic
  36. aptamers154▲ 7.8×1 topic
  37. Plate Tectonics152▲ 6.3×3 topics
  38. Heterogeneous Catalysis143▲ 4.9×5 topics
  39. Transition Metal Complexes117▲ 8.3×4 topics
  40. Negative Refraction114▲ 14×1 topic

Which research topics does Nanjing University publish most on?

By volume in 2022–2025: Advanced biosensing and bioanalysis techniques, Advanced Photocatalysis Techniques, Metamaterials and Metasurfaces Applications and Perovskite Materials and Applications.

Advanced biosensing and …154Advanced biosensing and bioanalysis techniques: 154 fractional worksAdvanced Photocatalysis …117Advanced Photocatalysis Techniques: 117 fractional worksMetamaterials and Metasurfaces Applications: 114 fractional worksPerovskite Materials and Applications: 93 fractional worksGeological and Geochemical Analysis: 89 fractional worksClimate variability and models: 87 fractional worksNanoplatforms for cancer theranostics: 87 fractional worksAdvanced Antenna and Met…84Advanced Antenna and Metasurface Technologies: 84 fractional worksElectrocatalysts for Energy Conversion: 77 fractional worksAdvancements in Battery Materials: 75 fractional works
Molecular BiologyRenewable Energy, Sustainability and the EnvironmentElectronic, Optical and Magnetic MaterialsElectrical and Electronic Engineering4 others

Area is fractional works; colour is the subfield each topic belongs to.

  1. 1 Advanced biosensing and bioanalysis techniques Molecular Biology 154 works
  2. 2 Advanced Photocatalysis Techniques Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment 117 works
  3. 3 Metamaterials and Metasurfaces Applications Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials 114 works
  4. 4 Perovskite Materials and Applications Electrical and Electronic Engineering 93 works
  5. 5 Geological and Geochemical Analysis Geophysics 89 works
  6. 6 Climate variability and models Global and Planetary Change 87 works
  7. 7 Nanoplatforms for cancer theranostics Biomedical Engineering 87 works
  8. 8 Advanced Antenna and Metasurface Technologies Aerospace Engineering 84 works
  9. 9 Electrocatalysts for Energy Conversion Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment 77 works
  10. 10 Advancements in Battery Materials Electrical and Electronic Engineering 75 works

How open and international is its research?

Against the world’s own shares — the tick on each track. Both are shares of its output, so they sit on one scale and can be read against each other as well as against the world.

openly available23.6%not open76.4%

World: 28% of research is openly available.

with international co-authors15.4%domestic only84.6%

World: 19% is written across borders.

How has Nanjing University's research output changed?

Output in 2018–2022 was 13% higher than in 2013–2017.

1990200020102020
grewheldshrank

The same series as a ribbon — one cell per year, darker for more. The line above answers how much; this answers when.

Other research institutions in Nanjing

All research institutions in Nanjing

Research measures only: rankings here say nothing about teaching, admissions or student experience. Comparable institutions and collaboration partners are in the interactive view on the map.